Gabi Clayton
Ally? Says Who? by Wombat Cascadia
I found the zine: SO YOU WANT TO BE AN ALLY! A zine on anti-oppression, allyship, and being a less shitty person – online around 2013, and I think it is excellent. Below is the part that has been posted in my quotes collection under its author Wombat Cascadia for many years because reading it gave me an important perspective on being an ally.
Stating the obvious?
The United States doesn’t need to be the greatest country in the world. Being ‘the greatest’ means a constant power struggle, one up and one down, unless the other doesn’t care, has no hope. The greatest means everybody loses because being in competition may be fine for things like baseball but is not healthy in …
If This, Then We Are Most Likely Screwed
Yesterday I shared a post on Facebook that simply said, Today, 73 million Americans depend on Social Security every month. I am one. Right now there are 85 responses, 23 comments and 8 shares. A friend’s comment included a reference to “people who worked all their lives.” and that got me thinking. I replied: Alec and …
Looking Toward Tomorrow and the Future of America
Rising for me today: On January 18, 1997, one year, eight months, and ten days after our younger son Bill committed suicide after a bashing based on his sexual orientation, I published an essay “Too Many Kids Like My Bill” which is in part included here: There is so much grief with the death of …
About Viewing ‘Original’ Art
When I shared this image on Facebook on November 16, 2024, Alec commented: The expressive lines at the top show up more clearly in the original than here. But if she chooses to print it she can control the color and contrast.
I responded: Regarding the ‘original,’ my art is created digitally and every screen and monitor has its own settings of hue and saturation and contrast and value …
We Can Do Better
There have been times in my life, mostly when I was younger, when I didn’t vote in elections because I didn’t think it mattered, or when I voted for independent candidates because I agreed with what they stood for more than the major party candidates. I don’t regret those, but I am really against those choices now…
I Didn’t Lose My Temper
A friend posted an image on social media with the words: Someone I don’t know commented with some awful homophobic/transphobic stuff (that I won’t share here) while claiming to be a very polite person with ‘them’ and not at all a hater. You’ll just have to take my word for what he wrote and use …
Complexity — violence in and between Gaza Strip/West Bank and Israel
I’ve been thinking a lot about the violence happening in and between Gaza Strip/West Bank and Israel now [Hamas and the Israeli government], and how because this is so complex and there is so much history predating October 7th it has seemed impossible for me to make a statement of what I believe. So I …
Well, that was a hell of a way to end 2023 and start 2024
I spent Sunday evening through about five p.m. Tuesday at the Neurotrauma ICU at Providence Saint Peter’s Hospital after having a major seizure which I don’t remember. I’m hearing that word has been getting out (which is fine, this isn’t a secret), so I want to share what is happening to me. I actually don’t …